Derry Mathews retained his Commonwealth lightweight title by stopping Curtis Woodhouse at the Olympia in Liverpool.

A fight labelled as 'War' was never allowed to develop as Mathews used his experience to dominate before finishing things with a short right hand that landed flush in the fourth round.

Woodhouse, the former professional footballer, came into the fight as an underdog against the former British champion, who had won the Commonwealth strap by dropping Tommy Coyle last time out.

Mathews was been out-boxed against Coyle but he looked assured against Woodhouse, who has done all his learning as a boxer at professional level.

'Dirty Derry' refused to get drawn into a war, using his superier skills to boss the fight at his pace, his left jab and combinations keeping Woodhouse quiet in the first two rounds.

Woodhouse had his occasional successes and upped his game in the third, forcing Mathews to the ropes and off-loading hurtful shots that have brought him some big nights in his career.

However, Mathews caught up with him midway through the fourth session as Woodhouse got careless, a seemingly innocuous short right hand landing right on the button, taking the challenger's legs from under him.

Woodhouse made it back to the vertical on unsteady legs but after stumbling into the ropes the referee made the right decision in immediately waving the fight off.